Children of the Night
by rkopicture
Summary: To Lilly, she was a bit of a misfit with a peculiar obsession. To others, she was a closely guarded secret, a product of betrayal, and a means of revenge.  OC, All character except Eddie & Dr. Scott WILL be included
1. Movie Monsters

**A/N: Thank you to anyone who is about to read this. I wanted to quickly state my position when writing an OC-centric fic. While I am generally against OC's in fan fiction, I believe Rocky Horror leaves a fair amount of story open to add characters. I promise you my OC is not written or intended to be ME. I also promise not to get carried away making everything oh-so-perfect for my OC and stray from Rocky Horror's intended style. For any concern as to how certain characters deaths/departures from the movie are almost forgotten in the beginning of this story... fear not. I have spent some time crafting the explanation in my mind. All questions at the end of the show/movie will be resolved in further chapters of this story. Thank you. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It is entirely owned by the magnificent Richard O'Brien.**

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_His black, piercing eyes stared beyond. Beyond his castle. Beyond the foreign country. Beyond a realm or world any mere human could see. A howl echoed through the darkness of the surrounding forest. A man stood, frozen with curiosity and fear. _

_His face contorted into a sinister smile as he turned toward his guest. One mere candle separated the visitor from eerie dimness to horrifying blackness._

_"Listen to them, the Children of the Night. What music they make!"_

"Lilly!"

Lilly jumped, startled at the inclusion of her name at the end of the movie line. Realizing the voice belonged to her mother, she pushed her mind back to reality. Walking out of her room, she paused at the top of the steps.

"Lilly!" her mother yelled again.

"Mom, jeez, I'm right up here. What's up?" Lilly saw her mom poke her head up from the bottom of the stairs.

"Breakfast is ready. Your father and I have barely seen you in a year. Could you please join?" Lilly rolled her eyes but smiled. Her mother tried so hard to keep the family close, how could she not indulge her? She ran down the steps and took her place next to her father at the kitchen table.

Lilly watched her mother pour orange juice for her while simultaneously pouring coffee for her father. Now that was talent. Dippy eggs and sizzling bacon sat in the center of the table, making Lilly's stomach rumble. Not having been home for so long, she decided grabbing food before her parents may not be the nicest choice to make. She chose instead to turn and watch her father. He sipped at his fresh coffee, the steam slightly fogging his glasses. He held the Denton Affair newspaper in his hands, making slight grunts and mumbles as he scanned the headlines.

Her mother joined the table, scooping each plate and filling it. Lilly's stomach made another rumble, this time noticeably louder. Her father turned his eyes to her, noticing her presence for the first time since she sat down.

"Hey kiddo. How was your first night in the 'ol room?" He continued to scan the paper while awaiting her reply.

"It was OK. I still can't sleep well. I woke up early and watched one of my old movies." She said between chewing on a particularly delicious piece of bacon.

"Let me guess. Frankenstein." Another sip of coffee, another turn of the paper.

"Nope. Dracula. Bela Lugosi." Another bite of bacon.

"I'll never understand your fascination with those films. Maybe they play a part in why you never sleep well. Filling your head with vampires and werewolves and e_verything that goes _bump in the night" Lilly's father shook his head in mild disapproval.

"Oh come on Dad. They don't scare me. I love them. I wish I lived in a movie like that. Twisting castles, dark villains, creatures... can you imagine how awesome that would be?" Lilly felt herself drift off into her fantasy world and forced herself to snap back to reality. A suspicious glance passed between her parents; her mother's of worry and her father's of anger and worry - though mostly anger.

"It would not be awesome to live like that! Those movies display a world of dark depravity that you should not want to be a part of! You were raised better than to fill your head with such ridiculous fantasies, dammit!" her father yelled. She had no idea why her little vocalized affection for horror and sci fi movies made her father snap, but she quickly shut her mouth.

"Now, Brad darling, she just likes to watch some old scary movies. There's no harm in that." her mother chimed in to her defense. Her mother was always like that. A bit more understanding and open-minded than her father.

"I just don't like it, Janet. She maintains an A+ GPA throughout high school, gets accepted to an Ivy League college, then starts becoming obsessed with these movies and suddenly everything changes. Now she's through with college and she never sleeps." Brad stared at her, willing her to prove him wrong.

"Dad, I'm not through with college. I'm taking a break. I just need to figure out why I can't sleep. I wasn't happy. I'm still not. I know you're disappointed, but I need to decide what I want. Watching old horror movies or not isn't going to change that." Lilly waited for Brad's reaction. She gulped in an inhale and felt the air fill her lungs.

"We're not disappointed sweetheart, we're worried." Janet tried to intervene. "We know what you're capable of and we don't want you to go through our past mistakes."

Another glance passed between Lilly's parents. She wished she understood why it made her feel so uneasy when they did that. It felt like her parents kept some deep secret from her. She kept her eyes fixed on her father's reaction and felt slightly relieved when his shoulders relaxed from their tense state.

"Just keep the reality separated from the fantasy, OK kiddo?" Brad said quietly. "You only know the movie monsters. The real ones are much worse."


	2. We'll Meet in the End

Green, orange, red, and yellow whipped past Lilly at a frenzied speed. The cool October breeze danced around her golden curls. The soft purr of her car caused her to sigh with absolute calmness. She had promised her parents to start an immediate search for a job, but that did not mean she shouldn't enjoy herself along the way. Her mother's retro Polaroid camera sat cozily in the passenger seat.

Lilly hummed quietly to herself while she contemplated her family's true personalities. As most children do, she spent the first part of her life assuming her parents were perfect, the second part assuming they were wrong in every way, and the third part realizing she had no clue who they actually were.

Her mother was always wonderful. She was patient and had a free spirit that came out when she laughed or had one too many cranberry and vodkas. She trusted Lilly, even at a young age, to independently make decisions and, whether she failed or not, know how to trust her instincts. She was a fantastic mother, wife, hostess, and friend,... but there was more. While she wanted Lilly to believe in the wholesome image she had created, Lilly saw what was behind the surface. Lilly came home one night to find her mother asleep on the couch, clutching a burnt out roach in one hand and an empty wine glass in the other. Lilly had also peeked in her mother's closets before too. Corsets and fishnets just did not compliment her mother's innocent demeanor.

Then there was her father. He was much harder to read. He was a kind man, always trying to help out as best as he could, but he was distant. He had a severe issue with not recognizing Lilly's turn from adolescence into adulthood. She worried she'd be known as "kiddo" in her thirties. He was devoted to her mother, as well as her, but she sensed he did not understand her. Too often he looked confused and upset when she tried to have an honest conversation with him. While her mother used understanding as a guide to Lilly's view in the world, her father employed a more strict and conservative tactic. That was not to say that he was the epitome of middle-American perfection either, however. The night when Lilly found her mother on the couch, her dad was passed out right across from her in his recliner. The album cover for A Night At The Opera was on his lap. Lilly figured no matter how uptight he could seem, no man who had an appreciation for pot and Queen was so bad. Besides, some of the corsets in her mother's closet, Lilly shuddered at the thought, were a bit too large for her mother to have worn.

Finally there was her. She seemed to be the exact opposite of her parents. She worked hard to maintain a careful reputation, like them, but as anything but wholesome. She had countless boyfriends and, on occasion, girlfriends in high school and college. She tried any drug passed her way at a party, and she felt completely at ease exposing her assets when dressing. She was by no means Gothic, but she was known for being a bit darker and kinkier than her peers.

What the world did not know is who she truly was. She had never slept with someone without the influence of drugs and alcohol. She was terrified to let anybody that close to her. Her flings were a carefully planned mask to keep everyone at bay. She felt deeply average and was painfully insecure about her body. She had never loved. She had no idea what that really meant. She had never known true lust or passion. Years of experience had aided in detaching her from anything real. The world, through her eyes, was very rose-tinted and naive. The small amount of truth people saw was her obsession with old horror and sci-fi movies. Getting swept away in the classic tales made her feel like she had escaped. Her only real freedom was a black screen behind velvet curtains.

"I, " Lilly mumbled to herself, "may be the most twisted of them all."

She slowed her car when she reached the fork in the road. While it had been three years, aside from holidays, since she had been in town, she knew the way to the business district in town was the wider road. That road, she recognized, meant an ending. She would get a job, return to school in six or so months, and that would be it. She felt overwhelmed with the limitations the world had bestowed upon her.

She glanced at the narrow road. The colored trees seemed to shine with a brighter hue in that direction. The fading sun gleamed through holes in the leaves. Her parents had never taken her down that road and she had never driven it herself. The only unknown in her life was what the road led to. She could hear Robert Frost's words in her head.

_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I_—

_I took the one less traveled by, _

_And that has made all the difference._

Without realizing it, her hands shifted the wheel. She drove slowly, taking time to notice each tree, each bush, each fallen leaf dancing toward the ground. She deeply inhaled the air, securing her memory with the moment. Minutes passed, then an half an hour passed, yet she could not find it in her to turn around. It was not until she passed an unusual sight that her foot her pressed on the brakes.

In the middle of nowhere, in a road Lilly had half-believed only she had ever driven, stood an enormous castle. It's deep brown exterior blended so easily with the surrounding forest she felt she was seeing a mirage. She felt dumbfounded. Was this real? Why had no one ever told her there was a castle in Denton, Ohio? Furthermore, why was there a castle in Denton, Ohio? It was so large and gorgeous she had to fight her eyes to blink. She grabbed the Polaroid camera and jumped out of the car.

She walked to the center of the road and looked both ways. Not another car was close. She focused the lens and began snapping, letting the photos fall to the ground so she did not have to miss a second of what she was taking in. With each click of the camera she felt more and more intrigued by the mystery of the castle. She collected nearly twenty photos before she felt satisfied.

Squatting down, she examined each photo quickly before moving to the next. She barely registered the small details, until she reached the last one. There, in the window below the dome on the castle's left tower, was an outline of a person. It was too unclear to make out completely, but she was certain it was a man. She flipped through the other photos, but none showed the silhouette. Her head shot up to look at the window with her own eyes. All she could see was darkness. She scanned the surrounding area. There were no cars, no lights on inside, no signs of a person living in the castle. Had someone noticed her? Was there someone there to notice her? Could it have been a ghost? Her mind raced as she moved back to her car and U-turned towards home.

Flipping on the radio to calm her nerves, Lilly listened to Black Sabbath's "Hard Road". The lyrics echoed in her mind.

_Oh, it's a hard road. Carry your own load. Why make the hard road? Why can't we be friends?_

_No need to hurry- We'll meet in the end._


	3. Fear of the Unknown

Lilly's troubled mind would not rest. As Boris Karloff slowly walked across her TV screen in Frankenstein, Lilly added the castle photographs to her album. She listened to the steady beat of the rain create a rhythm around the Frankenstein monster's heavy steps. As she added the photo with the human outline in the castle's window, Karloff screamed in fear of fire. She looked up and felt immediate compassion. The monster was not a real monster. He was confused and afraid. Nobody wanted to die by fire. How could the townspeople accuse him of crimes he hadn't realized he'd committed? They were just as scared of him as he was of them. Everybody has a fear of the unknown.

She glimpsed once more at the photo. The outline of the man scared her a bit. It seemed like something out of a haunted house story. She was so intrigued and curious, but still a bit frightened. Her body tensed with excitement at the thought of going back and looking around more, but her brain kept shouting No!. With a sigh she closed the album and set it on her nightstand. She set her alarm clock for early in the morning; she had lied to her parents about the job search that turned into a small adventure and knew she needed to double her efforts. Letting the taps of raindrops on her window lull her to sleep, she pictured the outline of the Frankenstein monster staring from the castle's window.

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A suppressed scream held tight in Lilly's throat. Her head felt cloudy and there was massive pressure behind her eyes. She slammed her car door and rested her head on the wheel. Finding a job in Denton was not as easy as Lilly had imagined. To be fair, Lilly did not really want a job, but she knew it was the only condition she could remain at home. She was not particularly ecstatic to live with her parents, but if she moved out she would have to get a job and an apartment. That seemed much worse.

After applying for eight different positions in various stores and restaurants, the only company seeming happy to hire her on was McDonald's. She imagined herself sitting over the fry machine, rubbing sweat off of her forehead and trying not to touch the colony of zits that would inevitably appear on her face. 'No,' Lilly thought. 'I'm not that desperate yet.'

She started driving back toward her parents' house, feeling a bit overwhelmed and exhausted. When she came to the fork in the road, all of her unhappiness and wariness vanished in a compulsive need to drive back toward the castle. She mentally weighed her options as she sat at the stop sign. She should go home. She should talk to her parents and get a job and start acting more mature. Feeding in to this castle fantasy was only adding on to her increasingly large amount of foolishness.

A car beeped behind her. Her thoughts interrupted for a split second for her to wonder how long she had been sitting there. Another car beeped. She glanced in her rear-view mirror and saw four other cars with less than happy drivers impatiently waiting behind her. Waving an apology she turned down the road and headed for the castle. Deep down, she knew the choice was made from the start.

The winding road felt comfortingly familiar the second time down. Lilly's stomach twisted in knots with nervous excitement as she drew closer to the castle. She double-checked her backseat through the rear-view to make sure her mother's camera was there, another sure sign her own mind had premeditated the trip. Once she was within walking distance of the castle, she parked along the side of the road. In case there were unfriendly people, she wanted to go unnoticed for as long as possible. A loud car turning off and on would make too much of a distraction for her.

When she reached the castle's gate on foot, she noticed a sign with thick black letters reading "ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!". She gulped a bit of air and continued on slowly. She snapped pictures of the twisted trees along the walkway, keeping a constant eye toward the castle window from the photo. She jumped when she heard a rustling sound in the bushes near her, but continued walking. As she snapped a picture of the castle, a figure passed by her peripheral. Her head snapped to look, but no one was there.

'Quit letting your mind play tricks on you, scaredy cat'. Lilly thought.

Lilly had walked the entire way to the front doors. She tried glancing in the first floor windows for any movement but noticed none. She cautiously walked up the steps and pressed her ear close to the door. Music! She could hear distant music playing from inside. Even though the doors seemed incredibly heavy, she was certain this was not her mind playing tricks again. There was definitely music. She pressed her ear tightly against the door to try to make it out. She thought she heard saxophone and guitar. Someone lived in the middle of nowhere, in a castle in Ohio, and listened to rock music. Perhaps they would not be as frightening as she had imagined. She desperately wanted to look inside and take photos, but she was well aware of the dangers presented when being vulnerable to absolute strangers. She knew the logical decision.

Of course, logic had failed her so much lately. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, and knocked on the door. Suddenly she felt panic. Should she run? She could make it far enough away that the occupants would not recognize her. Her foot turned, but she was too late. The wood door creaked open.

She stared at a man with long, stringy blond hair attached to a balding head. His eyes were hollow and his complexion was sickly. A hump stuck out over her shoulder. Lilly had barely managed a real assessment before she realized he was the man from her picture. His lips curved in to a sinister half-smile as he looked at her.

"Hello."


	4. Open Invitation

**A/N: Thank you to Nicolagirl and Demonwolf for your kind reviews. I hope you can keep guessing what is to unfold in later chapters. Finally we get some Trannsylvanian goodness in this one. Thanks again!**

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"Uh... hi. I'm Lilly. I noticed this castle the other day and...well... I like to take photos and was wondering if I could, um..." Lilly stammered. Something about the man's stare made her so uneasy.

"You were here before." He replied, never breaking his gaze.

"Yes. Uh, yes. I took some pictures outside yesterday. I... I can just go." Lilly turned to leave.

"You wanted to look inside the castle." He smiled as she stopped in her tracks.

"Uh, yes, I did. I really don't want to bother you, though, so I can go." Lilly took another step backwards, hesitant to make any sudden movements.

"The master is not prepared for company at present. He is holding a soiree tonight." His eyes shifted towards the inside of the castle. "He will give you a formal tour of the castle after."

Lilly was taken back by the offer. She was half convinced the butler or handyman or whatever-he-was was holding a shotgun behind his back, preparing to shoot until she left, yet he had invited her to take a formal tour with the master of the castle.

"I um... I don't think I could return later, especially when parties tend to run really late into the night." Lilly replied. The setting sun was quickly being replaced by a chilled wind that danced across Lilly's arm until goose bumps raised on her skin.

"I think perhaps you should come inside." the man opened the door a bit more. Glancing over his non-hunched shoulder, the foyer piqued Lilly's curiosity. Without realizing she had crossed the threshold, she found herself inside, watching the man shut the door behind her.

"I couldn't possibly intrude on a private affair." She reasoned to the man.

"Open invitation." He smiled a crooked half-smile again. Lilly realized the goose bumps had only increased since walking inside, although the cold air was long gone.

She took a moment to examine the foyer. There were cobwebs everywhere. A coffin sat next to an American Gothic replica. A stuffed Leopard was entangled by a snake. Small white statues decorated every spare nook and cranny. The entire look of the house, so far, felt like a perfect example of a haunted castle. It was almost comical how overdone it was. Lilly figured the master of the house must be some odd rich man who spent his money on pricey collections rather than pay for a staff that could clean the castle well. She had seen all types of people in her twenty three years so she knew not to pass judgment on such a trivial thing as decorating. She could only imagine what her father would say if he were here. Turning to look at the wooden staircase to her right, Lilly nearly jumped out of her skin.

A woman, pale as the man, sat on the steps staring at her. Her burgundy hair was a mess of tousled curls. She wore a maid's uniform with thigh-high fishnets and black boots. Her eyes were covered in thick, dark lashes, and her crimson smile widened with the realization she had been noticed.

It all felt like too much for Lilly. The part of her brain that took all overwhelming information and conquered small bits into logic kicked in to response. The leaves were changing color. The wind was chilling to the bone. The people in front of her were dressed like vamped versions of a butler and maid.

'Yes!' thought Lilly. 'It's October! The soiree must be a Halloween party the master of the house is throwing. They're done up in costumes and have decorated the castle as well.'

Lilly smiled at the woman as she felt herself relax. For a moment, she feared she had stepped in to the Twilight Zone, but now she felt foolish.

"You have proven me wrong again, brother. She is not the Candy Man." said the woman through a thick accent.

The man and woman exchanged a glance, not unlike the one Lilly was accustomed seeing pass between her parents. She really wished she felt "in" on the world and its knowing glances.

"There are other ways, dear sister, to find a high. This is our guest, Lilly." replied the man.

"Charmed." The woman looked at her in almost a seductive gaze. Lilly's bisexual side was definitely appreciating the woman before her, but an understanding of the siblings' conversation interrupted it.

"Oh! You're looking for candy, right?" Lilly asked. The woman said nothing and the man raised an eyebrow. "I think I have a joint in my bag here somewhere. " She rummaged around the hidden compartment in her purse's lining until she found it, handing it to the woman.

Grabbing a lighter from her cleavage, the woman sparked the joint. She deeply inhaled, eyelashes fluttering, before letting the smoke curl in the air before her. Lilly was dazed watching. Never had a person looked so sexual taking a hit from a joint. The woman passed the joint to her brother as she smiled again.

"This one is not so bad." The woman said. Blowing out his smoke, the man agreed.

"Yes, sister. History does not repeat itself."

Lilly did not understand the comment, but she assumed she was not the first tourist to the castle. The joint was passed to her. Inhaling, she realized she was far from ready to attend a Halloween party.

"I have nothing to wear to the soiree. I don't look right in this." Lilly said, feeling the strong hit ease away the last remaining pangs of anxiety.

"She's right brother. What shall we do?" The woman asked. The man looked her up and down, making Lilly feel a bit exposed.

"We will take her upstairs. Columbia will find a suitable garment."

Lilly looked between the two siblings with confusion.

"Who is Columbia?"


	5. One Poison for Another

**A/N: A huge, unbelievably large thank you to PirateGirlRocks, Demonwolf, Tirocno, and PlunderedSoul for your incredibly kind reviews. I am so glad you like the story. I have about half of it finished, but it has taken me some time with rewrites and a new beta. Thank you so much for your support! I'm about as impatient as any of you waiting for Frank's entrance into the story and to get some of the questions unfolded. Thanks again!**

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Lilly skipped steps as she attempted to keep up with the pace of the burgundy haired maid. The woman seemed to dart faster than a speeding bullet through the second story of the castle. If the woman was pretending to be a domestic with little to no courteousness, she was definitely succeeding in Lilly's eyes. After a series of twists and turns, Lilly pondered whether or not she should have left a trail of breadcrumbs. She would never be able to find her way out again.

Finally, the maid stopped at the final door of a hallway. She opened without knocking, hastily pushed Lilly inside, and left. Lilly was left feeling disoriented and alone. That is, until she noticed the woman sitting at a vanity.

The woman's back was turned to her, but her short, flaming red-orange hair stuck out against the dimly lit room. Lilly could not see her entire costume, but the top seemed to be entirely covered in gold sequins. Fishnets, blue socks and black character shoes dressed her legs and feet. One foot tapped impatiently on the floor. Circular light bulbs framed the vanity's mirror, allowing Lilly to catch glimpses of a painted white face, crimson cheeks, and glaring cat eyes.

Lilly was certain the woman had to notice her presence in the room. At the very least, the woman had to have heard the door open and shut. It made Lilly nervous, not really knowing the woman or what she was to say.

"...Columbia?" Lilly said, barely above a whisper. She heard the woman sigh heavily, exaggerating heavy annoyance.

"I think I was to come to you for a costume, that is, if you're Columbia." Lilly continued.

The woman pointed to a couch with one hand while using the other hand to pencil on lip liner. Lilly walked to the couch and noticed a white satin nightgown hung over the arm. She picked it up and pressed it to her body, trying to figure out what kind of character would wear a white satin night gown. It did give her the impression of Fay Wray, with a low cut front, long hanging sleeves, and what was sure to be a tight fit on Lilly's body. Opting to attempt not annoying the woman again, Lilly began to step out of her shoes and socks while looking around the room.

Everything was mismatched. It really seemed to be a reoccurring theme in the castle. There were lamps with Chinese lettering and dragons, mickey mouse ears on a small end table, and, most noticeably, an entire wall dedicated to a black and white photo of a man resembling a greaser. Lilly stared at the picture as she unbuckled and dropped her pants.

"Who is that man on the wall?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. She didn't expect a response after the long moments of silence from the woman, so Lilly was startled when a chirping, child-like voice rang in the room.

"He's ancient history." the woman paused briefly before continuing on with her makeup routine.

"Oh," Lilly responded. "Ex boyfriend? I've been there."

"I suppose he is an Ex, but I doubt you've been there." the woman said, pressing false eyelashes into her upper eyelids.

Lilly wasn't quite sure how she should respond. She really felt the woman was not nearly as mean as she was trying to be, but she did not want to press her luck much.

"I guess you're right. I've never had a devotion to someone enough to make a wall of them. Not even close. I may not understand, but I am sorry for whatever reason he's not with you anymore." Lilly said, slipping on the nightgown.

The woman's head slowly turned to look at Lilly, her body shifting in the chair to face her fully on. She looked lovely to Lilly, but there was a very deep sadness in her heavily lined eyes.

"Thank you." she said.

"You're welcome." Lilly replied, feeling her heart break a little for the woman.

"Columbia."

"What?" Lilly was caught off guard.

"My name is Columbia." a small smile tugged on Columbia's perfectly glazed pout.

"Oh! Hi. I'm Lilly. Nice to meet you. I don't want to pry, but why did he go?" Lilly asked, wanting to understand Columbia a bit more. While an entire wall seemed, to Lilly, very obsessive in nature, Lilly knew she could not condemn what she did not understand. Columbia's eyes dropped towards the floor.

"He went because I traded one poison for another."

A moment of silence, aside from what Lilly thought sounded like the roar of motorcycles outside, passed between them both before Columbia closed her eyes and shook her head, seeming to snap out of the sad memory and back into a more bubbly, friendly posture.

"You look great." Columbia said, standing to shift Lilly's gown to fit better.

"Thank you for the costume. I was afraid to stand out as the only one not done up." Lilly said, grateful for the change in atmosphere.

"Costume?" Columbia looked confused.

"Yes, for the Halloween party? The butler and maid- I didn't catch their names-" Lilly tried to remember.

"Riff Raff and Magenta." Columbia replied.

"Really? Wow. You all have such unique names. Anyway, Riff Raff and Magenta told me the party was open invitation." Lilly bent to glance in the vanity's mirror, wishing she had worn at least a bit of lipstick. Columbia caught the hint and grabbed a tube of red, applying it on Lilly's lips.

"They gave you an invitation...to the Halloween party?" Columbia asked as she grabbed a tissue for Lilly.

"Yes, " Lilly kissed her lips to the tissue. "Were they not supposed to?"

"No, that's fine. It's just, are ya sure you want to go?" Columbia asked, staring at Lilly. For once, Lilly felt like she was part of a meaningful glance, but she did not understand it one bit.

"Why would I not want to go?" Lilly tried to understand. Columbia kept looking at her strangely.

"It might not be what you really want. Things aren't always what they seem, ya know?"

Lilly did not know. She could not understand the harm in going to a party. True, she knew no one going, but it was not unlike her first college party. She was fairly skilled in the art of being a social butterfly when the need arose.

"I'm sure I'll like it. It's really up my alley." said Lilly, smiling at Columbia. Columbia smiled back, though it seemed a bit forced. Lilly still felt a little unsettled.

"Is there something I should know?"

Columbia broke the contact to grab a glittery gold hat from her vanity. She turned again and looked bubbly again.

"Nope, nevermind. Nothing to know. Let's go have some fun!" Columbia chirped. Lilly began to follow her towards the door but paused.

"Just one sec please!" she called to Columbia as she reached for her cellphone in her purse. She remembered to call her mom and dad before it got too late. If she didn't show up after partying for hours who knew what her parents would do. She dialed the number, but realized quickly that there was no service.

'Of course,' thought Lilly. 'Why on earth would there be service in a castle in the middle of nowhere?'

She took one last glance at herself in the mirror before heading out the door. She had no idea what the night had in store for her, but if the beginning of her adventure was any indication, she hoped it would be a night she would not soon forget.


End file.
